The first three pieces of the Bayesian superyacht, which capsized off Italy last year, have been brought to the surface.
The yacht’s main boom, its anchor and a pole, which holds the bottom of the sail, have been lifted from the seabed.
The boat was owned by British tech tycoon Mike Lynch. He was among seven people – including his 18-year-old daughter Hannah – who died when it sank off the coast of Sicily during a storm on 19 August last year.
Work to recover the yacht has recently been hampered when a diver died during salvage efforts.
Mike Lynch and his daughter Hannah Lynch died in the sinking. Pic: PA
Salvage experts from Dutch firms HEBI and SMIT Salvage are increasing the use of remote-controlled tools to bring more pieces of the yacht to the surface.
It was expected to be lifted and brought to shore by the end of May. However Marcus Cave from British firm TMC Marine, which is overseeing salvage efforts, said the change in salvage methods “will increase the time it will take to complete this project”.
The Bayesian superyacht sank in August last year. File pic: Perini Navi
The first recovered pieces of the sunken yacht will now be brought ashore and taken to Termini Imerese, a nearby town where Italian prosecutors investigating the sinking are based.
It comes after an interim report by the MAIB was published last week, providing the fullest account yet of how the superyacht capsized and the last-ditch efforts of those on board to get out.
It also found that the boat may have been vulnerable to high winds, with gusts exceeding 70 knots (about 80mph) on the day of the incident.
These “vulnerabilities” were said to be “unknown to either the owner or the crew of Bayesian” as they were not included in the stability information book carried on board.
Inquest proceedings in the UK are being held into the deaths of Mr Lynch and his daughter, as well as Morgan Stanley International bank chairman Jonathan Bloomer and his wife Judy, who were all British nationals.
Read more:
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How investigators will look into superyacht disaster
The floating barge Hebo Lift 2 is used for the salvage operation. Pic: TMC Marine/PA
The other victims who were died were US lawyer Chris Morvillo and his wife Neda Morvillo, and Canadian-Antiguan national Recaldo Thomas, who was working as a chef on the vessel.
Fifteen people, including Mr Lynch’s wife Angela Bacares, were rescued.
The fatal boat trip was a celebration of Mr Lynch’s acquittal in a US trial after he was accused of massive fraud over the sale of Autonomy to Hewlett-Packard in 2011.
